After Possession
by 1Thunderfire
Summary: After being possessed by the Demon Frog, Kirby's been having bad nightmares, not helped by the locals being angry at him for nearly destroying Cappy Town. He feels that he should deal with them alone but he cannot and worse, he's now full of self-doubt. He needs Meta Knight to reassure him that he is, indeed, a Star Warrior.
1. Chapter 1

**I've been going through the Kirby anime again and I'm having a good time. It would be great if there were a new series again! (But I suppose that won't happen...)**

 **Anyway, this is based upon the Demon Frog episode and looks at its aftermath (something so cute shouldn't look so devilish!). Being possessed can't be much fun after all though it's pretty much a staple of many cartoons and games. Here we go!**

 **P.S I notice that I often talk about dreams and nightmares in my writings. I wonder what that says about me?**

* * *

 **After Possession: Part 1**

 _All that lay before him was destruction. Beautiful, beautiful destruction. An entire place wiped out. All his own doing._

 _He surveyed the wasteland with satisfaction. The buildings burnt with ferocious crimson flames, erupting even higher when he poured petrol around them. The heat was alarmingly intense and the pungent smell of fuel spread quickly through the town. The furious flames, as they towered higher, made a wonderful, striking contrast against the pitch-black sky; the very picture of hell indeed._

 _A series of loud explosions rocked the few buildings still standing before they were reduced to rubble. Shattered glass flew in all directions cutting anyone in its path to bloody ribbons. You could see where they had ran, leaving red, streaky paths in their wake. It must have been very painful; not that he cared. He stood hard on the sharp glass shards and welcomed the piercing sensation that cut into his flesh. It did not matter; he was above the pain._

 _Heavy bricks smashed into the houses, punching out great holes before he razed them to the ground entirely. He battered the walls repeatedly until they caved in and then proceeded to batter them even more, wearing a manic grin while doing so. He took great pleasure in slashing at the possessions inside, especially the sentimental ones, tearing them open, leaving their ruined innards bare to the world. They were symbols of how memories could quite easily be blackened and obliterated._

 _The inhabitants were still screaming, panicking, running and crying, with red eyes, redder faces, all crimson in this half-light. The pain! Oh, the pain! But he would put a stop to that infernal caterwauling soon enough. How he hated those pleas for help! How they grated on him! Were they so pathetic that they could not sort out one single problem for themselves?! Gullible, stupid and weak: that was all these Cappies were. No wonder they succumbed to every trick and deception going. No wonder he had to sort everything out before. Well, not anymore._

 _The acrid stench continued to choke the air with those nearby gagging on it. Black smoke spewed over the atmosphere. The roaring flames were louder than the pitiful cries for help. The ground beneath him was broken and charred. How lovely._

 _They had all been rounded up in the town square. Each one, he was pleased to see, was trembling badly from head to toe, barely able to speak for fear of what would happen next. Stinging tears ran down their dirt-streaked faces. They held each other tightly to the point of crushing their ribs. Each breath came out more haggard and painful than the last. They dared not believe what was happening. How had it all transpired to this? Why? Why was this happening? Their whines filled the sky with such aggravating noise._

 _Don't worry, his mind spoke to him, he would put a stop to them soon enough._

 _Humming tunelessly to himself, he took time to select a suitable weapon. Which one, which one? Such decisions! Perhaps it would be best to construct his own, yes!_

 _Each footstep made their hearts hammer even more violently. Each step was deliberately slow. His smile widened at their terror. His brandished weapon was ready and waiting. It was already blood-soaked. It worked splendidly. He wouldn't be troubled by royalty anymore._

 _He reached the crowd. Really, they ought to have rushed him; he was only one, small being. But that was their loss and a costly one at that._

" _Please…" a young girl begged. "You're a good person. Don't do this. You're supposed to be a Star Warrior! A hero!"_

 _A Star Warrior. They were dead. The war had killed them. All of them._

 _He raised his weapon and–_

* * *

Kirby screamed and almost fell out of his tree. He scrabbled upright and clutched the trunk for dear life. He panted heavily and his eyes shone with distress. He cautiously surveyed his surroundings. He wasn't in town and there was nobody about. He was still in the tree next to the small house; his house technically, though it was occupied more often than not by a small yet loud, yellow bird known as Tokkori. It was still night-time and it was raining hard. He let the sound of the rainfall calm him as he rubbed his eyes. Yet another nightmare. How many had he had now? They were getting worse, so much worse...

"Huh? What's all that racket about?"

Before Kirby could hide himself, the window was thrown wide open by a tired-looking Tokkori. The bird eyed him beadily, seeing the source of his rude awakening.

"Don't tell me you had another nightmare, junior!" he squawked. "And don't you try telling me otherwise!" he added as Kirby vigorously shook his head. He didn't want to draw attention to himself. He just wanted to be left alone. "Kirby, you've gotta sort this out sooner or later or you're gonna be falling asleep during the day as well. You should try distracting yourself or something so you don't go disturbing me neither."

Kirby glowered at Tokkori. Did the bird think he hadn't bothered trying anything at all? He desperately wanted this to be over with. He hadn't had a decent night's sleep for nearly two weeks now. He'd been having nightmares every night; Tokkori was lucky he had only been woken up a couple of times.

Tokkori relented, seeing Kirby's fatigue. Poor boy had been through quite a bit recently.

"Come on, Kirby. You should probably get inside. A nest ain't a good place to be in when the weather's like this and I know it."

How generous. Inviting him into his own house. Kirby shook his head and turned away from Tokkori, not letting him see his distress.

"Fine. Be that way then. But you're only gonna be sorry in the morning when you've got yourself a bad cold!"

Once Tokkori had pulled the window shut, Kirby jumped down from his tree and started his slow walk to Cappy Town knowing that he wouldn't fall asleep again tonight. He trudged through the cold, wet grass and shivered slightly against the heavy rain. It was, of course, silly, taking a night-time stroll in this weather, but the young Star Warrior didn't care much for that. He had been feeling out of sorts ever since he had been taken control of by the Demon Frog.

The Demon Frog. A monster ordered by King Dedede some time ago, which had escaped before he had been able to put his plan into action. As it was, it was Kirby who had found it first. He thought that it was just an ordinary frog until it launched itself at him and after a brief struggle, sunk itself into the recesses of his mind.

Kirby shook. He had felt powerless, unable to fight back, unable to stop himself from attacking the town and its people. He had looked in a mirror and saw his glowing red eyes, his pronounced sneer, and the small bat-like wings protruding from his back. And when he laughed… it petrified him. He knew exactly what was happening and when he saw the terror in people's eyes… it was something that he couldn't forget easily.

The feeling of being possessed kept reappearing in his dreams and it was getting worse. He was terrified that during the midst of his nightmares, he would end up acting out what his possessed self was doing. Desperately hoping it would help, Kirby had stayed away from Cappy Town for some time, thinking that its citizens would be less angry with him and that the dreams would soon fade away, an unfortunate after-effect of the temporary possession.

But they had not.

Kirby knew that he didn't need to punish himself further. Once the demonbeast had been destroyed and everything had been sorted out, he couldn't apologise enough to the townspeople, to all who had been hurt. Though he couldn't speak properly yet, not even able to speak in full sentences, he hoped that they understood the sentiment.

But Kirby couldn't stop feeling guilty.

It must have been so terrifying to the locals, to see their hero, ever hungry yet ever cheerful, just suddenly go… haywire like that without any idea of the cause. His red, glowing eyes, his chilling, high-pitched laughter, his sudden urge to destroy as much as possible and feeling happy about it. While possessed, going completely wild like that had felt… marvellous. He felt free to do as he pleased. He didn't need to care for anyone or anything.

He had caused pain and suffering, he had caused anguish and fear. That was not what a hero did.

Who could stand up to Kirby when, by merely copying an available ability, he could take down ferocious demonbeasts even while he was still an infant? Only his mentor would be able to do that. But what if they had been forced to do battle? What if he had hurt Meta Knight? What if he had pinned him down, unable to defend himself? What if…?

Kirby shook his head wildly as if he could somehow shake the thoughts out. It would do him no good thinking like that. His mentor, who he admired and respected, would not have gone down so easily; he had fought far worse things in his time. He had confidence in Kirby's ability to free himself and he had, in the end, with Tiff's words.

Yet Kirby's actions still weighed down heavily on his heart.

" _You've nearly destroyed the whole of Cappy Town!"_ he remembered being told fiercely. _"Not even King Dedede has done so much damage! What drove you to do this? How could you let yourself go so out of control? We thought you were better than this!"_

Everyone had been so livid with him that Kirby was frightened they were going to start throwing rocks at him or something. He hadn't meant any of his actions but clearly that wasn't being taken on board. He wanted to help them but they didn't let them, no doubt thinking he would only make things worse. What else could Kirby then do but go home and feel sad for himself?

They were never like this towards King Dedede even though it was he who brought in the monsters. Was it because Dedede was a familiar evil or was it simply because they expected more from Kirby and he had let them down? Or both?

Kirby didn't expect to see anyone at this time and, when he reached Cappy Town a little while later, was glad to be proven right. Everyone was asleep, safely warm and comfortable in their homes. At least, if their homes weren't still in the process of being repaired.

Kirby glanced this way and that as he slowly walked down the main road. The Cappies worked hard and fast on reconstruction, used to it as they were from the damage often caused by Dedede's numerous monsters (although they may have been helped out by the Waddle Dees this time round, he wasn't sure). He saw the houses with new, double-glazed windows and fine brickwork as well as now boasting better roofs and chimneys. He peered through one of the windows belonging to a house that had taken substantial damage and saw that the furniture had been replaced. He hoped that the Cappies hadn't had to pay for them. It was Dedede who had ordered the monster in the first place so it was Dedede who ought to have recuperated the costs. It wasn't as if Kirby could pay for anything; he never had any money but then again, he never needed it in the first place.

The young Star Warrior stopped in front of Kawasaki's. Of all the buildings that had been caught in the crossfire, the restaurant had been the worst hit: the entire thing had gone up in flames and only the quick thinking of Chief Bookem had prevented it from being razed completely. Blackened and charred wooden beams remained although many of these had now been replaced and the restaurant was now being given a fresh lick of paint. It wouldn't look too different once repairs were completed; Kawasaki wanted it as good as the old one.

Kirby's eyes watered. Kawasaki's restaurant was his favourite place. While most people thought that Kawasaki was a terrible if enthusiastic cook, Kirby absolutely loved his dishes, enjoying it when Kawasaki asked him to taste test any new combinations he made no matter how outlandish they were. Many a time Kirby sat happily in his restaurant, emptying countless bowls of food for free when they had been left behind by complaining customers who obviously did not have such a developed sense of taste as himself. Kawasaki was just so glad that someone appreciated his cooking and he hoped that he would always have Kirby's custom and never have another restaurant open up in town.

He doubted that Kawasaki would want him to eat there ever again considering what had happened.

He walked a little further and noticed Curio's antiques shop. Sometimes, Kirby headed there to help the old Cappy out with his work when he didn't feel like playing and welcomed the peace and quiet that came with piecing old pottery together. Curio appreciated this and while Kirby did not really understand his historical theories about ancient Cappy history, nor, truth to be told, did they really apply to him, he listened anyway because it was the polite thing to do, and some of the theories were quite interesting really.

The building had been quickly re-erected; it was mainly a case of re-tiling the roof and putting up some new shelves. The antiques and fossils inside, however, were a different matter. Priceless artefacts smashed into countless pieces, some near reduced to ashes, how was anyone supposed to restore these items against such damage? Many were surely irreparable. Curio's life-time work and passion, utterly wrecked, more so than anyone else in town. He surely hated Kirby now.

Still raining heavily, Kirby wandered near to Tuggle's grocery store. That hadn't been damaged too badly so at least people had not been inconvenienced when out shopping for much-needed groceries. The lights were out but he knew that there was food still sitting on the shelves. His stomach rumbled loudly. The food such as chocolate, fish, and crisps were highly tempting for one as hungry as he was feeling right now but he wasn't going to add robbery to his list of recent crimes. He stood there for some time before moving away.

However, as he walked around the corner, he noticed a number of stacks of packaged meals sitting outside the store, meals that were only going to be thrown away anyway. Kirby's stomach rumbled even louder. He felt rather light-hearted and almost a little dizzy. Much as people were baffled by the amount that Kirby could put away and still not feel full, the reason was actually rather simple: his stomach was a pocket universe. How could you fill that and not be hungry?

Kirby wondered if it would be OK for him to eat this. Tuggle often let Kirby eat meals that were out-of-date, Kirby having no problems with this whatsoever, especially as not only did it mean another free meal for him, but it helped Tuggle reduce his waste and kept Cappy Town a clean place. It was a win-win situation.

With this in mind, Kirby decided it would be fine to eat the meals so before he could change his mind, Kirby sat down and ripped open the packaging, engulfing each meal as if it would be his last. He hadn't eaten properly in ages by anybody's standards; he hadn't been in Cappy Town for a whole week, only going to the sea and Whispy Woods for fish and fruit respectively. They went down his gullet faster than he could open the boxes. He breathed a sigh of satisfaction once he emptied the last box.

Now that he was fed, Kirby considered that he hadn't helped at all during reconstruction, not since he had kept himself away from town since the Demon Frog incident. He was afraid that the people would have told him to go away yet again. Feeling a sudden rush of guilt, Kirby leapt up. There were ways in which he could help. And the Cappies didn't even need to see him. If he could help out in some small way, then perhaps he would feel better about himself.

He began to work feverishly throughout town for the rest of the night, not caring that he was being soaked to the skin. There were so many things to do! He hoped that the people would be happy with his efforts. He tried his best to please everyone; it was in his nature to do so.

But would it be enough?


	2. Chapter 2

**After Possession: Part 2**

 _The flames grew ever stronger. Soon there would be nothing left but a searing blackened earth scarring the countryside. Thunder rumbled menacingly close by, lightning struck without cause. The people ran about screaming but their screams were suddenly cut short. That was better; it was far less distracting._

 _The moon shone blood-red tonight and the shadows danced a sinister dance. One of the shadows seemed far darker than the rest and appeared to take on a life of its own. An aspect of his dark side. Everyone had their dark sides but some, it seemed, were inevitably more dark than others._

 _A demonic figure, waiting in the clouds above patterned with an astral checkerboard, looked down and nodded in grinning, apparent approval. This was more than perfect. The Star Warriors were utterly destroyed, never to rise again._

 _Once a hero, he looked into the shards of a broken mirror and saw his eyes glowing red. He felt the demon wings, jagged and deadly, spread out slowly as he moved towards the crowd once again. He wiped a red stain off his cheek from an earlier slaughter as he decided upon his next move. He centred his sharp, cruel gaze on a young girl amongst them. She was always telling him and others what to do._

 _He held a sword._

 _He was going to enjoy this._

* * *

"H-hey, wait for me, Tiff!" Tuff cried as he ran after his sister.

"We have got to find Kirby today!" she exclaimed as they dashed towards Cappy Town that morning. "He's never been away this long. I just hope he's doing OK. I'm worried about him, Tuff."

It had been a week and a half and Kirby had not visited the castle even once, not even when Lady Like had decided to do some baking and Kirby practically had a telepathic connection to when such rare events happened. They kept expecting him to pop up, happily waiting to be fed, scoffing even the reject buns. But he hadn't.

"Kirby's a Star Warrior; he can look after himself. But it is weird," Tuff added. "He's not even come to the castle for a meal and that's not like Kirby at all." Indeed, Kirby could probably eat more than the rest of the town put together considering that he ate monsters and the like five times bigger than him and more, thanks to the pocket universe he had in his stomach. "Hey, do you think it's anything to do with that last monster Kirby fought?"

"It could be, Tuff," she sighed. "Maybe Kirby's just waiting for things to settle down. But it's not as if Cappy Town hasn't been damaged before and we've always managed to get it running again pretty quickly. Everything's almost back to normal again."

"Yeah, but it was Kirby who did the damage this time," her brother muttered.

"But it wasn't his fault!"

"We know that," said Tuff, raising placating hands. "We made it clear to everybody else as well. But I think that everyone might still be a little mad at Kirby because of what happened and everyone's having to work hard to undo it all."

"I… I guess so. But it isn't fair." Tiff stopped for a moment, catching her breath before they entered town.

She sighed. It never was fair. Kirby did his best to help everyone out. While some did mutter that there were more monsters about precisely because of Kirby's presence, that they were sent to kill him and him alone, never mind those caught in the conflict, Tiff knew that Dedede would have just kept ordering monsters regardless of whether Kirby was here or not. It was what he had done before Kirby's arrival after all; people seemed to forget that fact (though granted, they had been weaker than the ones the king pulled out nowadays). Still, Kirby couldn't be blamed for that. He didn't ask for Dedede to hate him and to constantly be assaulted by demonbeasts great and small as well.

"It's obvious that what happened was completely out of character for Kirby," Tiff said. "Kirby couldn't do anything about it; it was just too overwhelming. I hope they still don't blame Kirby for that. He even said he was sorry." Indeed, Kirby had practically begged for forgiveness. It was a saddening sight to witness, seeing the normally happy Star Warrior so upset.

When Heavy Anaconda, the monster sent to deal with the Demon Frog, had been destroyed, Kirby seemed somewhat lost and confused, not really sure what he had been doing at first. When Tiff and Tuff explained things to him, and when he met with the locals' reactions, Kirby realised what had happened. His help in clearing up the town was rejected out of hand and Kirby fled, not even allowing his mentor, Meta Knight, to speak with him. He made it clear he wanted to be alone for a while.

Apart from that day, Tiff and Tuff hadn't seen Kirby for what felt like ages. They knew he hadn't left town; Tokkori had assured them that he was still sleeping at home and occasionally heading into the woods. Yet when they tried visiting him, the young Star Warrior had definitely been avoiding them. It was worrying.

Tiff and Tuff arrived in the main square to see the citizens already up and about in the midst of an eager discussion. Taking advantage of the now clear weather and the amount of people, Kawasaki had set up a stall and was happily selling breakfast items such as toast, waffles and fruit bowls; fairly safe produce even for the infamously bad chef. Most held a cup of coffee; Kawasaki couldn't ruin _that_ at least.

"Hello, children," Mayor Len called out. "Have you seen Kirby at all?"

"No," Tiff answered sadly. "We were thinking of going over to his house again and try to catch him. Have you seen him at all, Mayor?"

"Not personally, no. But it appears that Kirby was in town last night."

"Really?!"

Tiff and Tuff listened carefully to what the citizens had to say who were nearly tripping over each other in their haste to speak out first.

"I woke up this morning and went down to my shop and found myself the owner of ten new crystal balls," Mabel said eagerly. "They will no doubt last me a very long time. I don't know where they came from and I can't think of anyone else who would go to this trouble but Kirby."

"Well, Dedede's got a lot of them in the castle when he decided to get a new hobby yet again. He wouldn't miss them." Tiff rolled her eyes. Dedede wasted a lot of money, specifically taxpayers' money, on buying merchandise to fuel his latest hobbies that inevitably lasted less than a week if that. "Wait a minute," she thought out loud. "Kirby must have come to the castle last night!" _But he didn't even come to see us. Why is he hiding from us?_

"They're very heavy," Mabel continued. "I assume he must have inhaled them and transported them to my shop all by himself. Such a useful ability."

"I found that Kirby had finished repairing a vase I was working on when I entered my shop," Curio interjected, "and that my collection of bones had been arranged by size order ever so neatly. I wouldn't have suspected anyone else working on that in the middle of the night. Besides, I don't know who else would be able to squeeze through the window I left open."

"All my cooking equipment had been cleaned and now it's all shining and sparkling," Kawasaki pointed out happily. "And the walls have been freshly painted too! I'm so glad that everything's nearly complete so I can serve you all tasty food again. Fancy anything, kids? As I've only got a few things left, it's on the house for you!"

Tiff and Tuff warily accepted waffles and coffee from Kawasaki and to their surprise, found that it wasn't actually too bad. Maybe Kawasaki was improving his cooking at long last.

"Speaking of food, Kirby paid a visit to mine and cleared everything up," Tuggle said. "No-one can clear food like Kirby."

"I think he's been to every part of town," the garage owner, Gus, said. "Mind you, he stayed away while the rest of us started reconstruction first. Could have helped out a little, you know?"

"You all made it obvious that you didn't want Kirby around while you started rebuilding!" Tuff said severely. "You were all glaring at him like Kirby did it all deliberately and when Kirby tried to help, the mayor practically blew up at him!"

Mayor Len looked quite shame-faced and fiddled with his hat.

"In fact," Tuff continued with folded arms. "You were all really cold towards Kirby. You should have known that something wasn't right when Kirby set fire to Kawasaki's even if you thought all the other stuff were just pranks. Kirby loves that restaurant."

Now all the adults looked guilty, especially Kawasaki who had sobbed at the collapse of his beloved restaurant. And he knew exactly how much Kirby loved food, the pink puffball being the only customer who loved all of Kawasaki's dishes and was, therefore, his favourite customer despite never having any money.

Tiff and Tuff resisted the urge to roll their eyes. Why was it that on more occasions than they cared to remember, they had to tell the adults what was going on and explain things to them when it ought to be the other way round? Though she did annoy him on several occasions, especially when she was in a mood, Tuff did understand Tiff's frustration when the adults came to her for explanations of various concepts that they ought to have known themselves.

"Um… everyone," Tiff said carefully. She was anxious of what their answer might be and if it turned out to be the wrong answer, well, she wouldn't be happy to say the least. "You… don't blame Kirby for all this mess do you?"

The thing with being regarded as a hero, she thought, was that when things went wrong, when events were out of that hero's control, they were judged far more harshly for it than anybody else. A reputation was built up and they were consequently expected to match it. They were supposed to deal with any threats that befell the populace. A hero was meant to be brave, strong and determined. Whatever was thrown at them, they would throw it back. They risked their life to defend those who needed protecting. They always triumphed over evil. They certainly did not succumb to it themselves. That was what had frightened the locals so.

Tiff wondered at times if the locals forgot that for all of Kirby's many skills and victories, he was, at the end of the day, still an infant. He couldn't speak, he was easily distracted, and he was immature. She wanted to protect him even though it was he who protected the town from the unfortunate incidents that befell it and soon enough, he would have to confront Nightmare. He was a Star Warrior; that was his role.

When Kirby realised what he had done under the influence of the Demon Frog, he was distraught. He felt he should have been able to control it better. That such a small monster could utterly possess him like that was… an embarrassment. Star Warriors were above that surely? Why had he been unable to do anything?

"Well, we can't pretend that we weren't alarmed and frightened at first, not to mention angry at Kirby," Mayor Len admitted. "He caused more damage than most of King Dedede's monsters! He very nearly hurt a lot of people too and as mayor, I am supposed to look out for you people. But," he said, holding up a hand before Tiff could interrupt, "we know it wasn't Kirby's fault and that it was all down to a monster, well, infecting him I suppose. It was just so completely out of character that we over-reacted I suppose. And, well, shouted at him when we probably shouldn't have. We're sorry, children."

"Yeah, just like the mayor said," said the toy shop owner Gengu. "And we want Kirby back here. It's too quiet without him."

"I predict that with everything normal once more, Kirby will be back to his usual self in no time," Mabel added.

Though it wasn't necessarily said out loud, everyone in Cappy Town, more or less, did happen to like Kirby. His kind-hearted nature and general cheeriness made their days that little bit brighter. His curiosity and playfulness made them smile each day. His warmth and caring personality made them strive to be better people. His determination and courage when faced with life-threatening danger moved them and made them consider how lucky they were to have such a protector. The young Star Warrior brought a liveliness and excitement that had been sorely missing from Cappy Town before his arrival. His unquestionable adorableness didn't hurt either.

Tiff and Tuff exchanged relieved smiles. They could all put this unfortunate incident behind them. Everything would be alright.

But… Tiff did wonder at times if they were too forgiving. Whenever they had an incident out of the ordinary, they ran about like headless chickens and Kirby was forced to act immediately, if not sooner, otherwise he would probably be berated for it. She wished, quite frankly, that they pulled themselves together for once.

"Thanks everyone," Tiff said. "That's really great. Now could you please help us find Kirby? He might still be in town if he was really busy last night but we're going to check his home out first."

"Don't bother, girly, that boy weren't there this morning."

 _How long has he been here?_ Tiff wondered as Kirby's housemate Tokkori flew up and settled on a branch to make himself heard and be the centre of attention, his preferred position. She considered taking the bird's words with a pinch of salt; Tokkori wasn't exactly unknown for causing needless trouble just for kicks.

"Well, where is he then?" Tuff asked, thinking the same thing as his sister.

"Dunno. Maybe he went searching for food to fill that bottomless belly of his since he ain't been coming into town lately."

As Tokkori couldn't tell them much more than that, and since there was little else to be gained from standing around, the Cappies organised themselves into search parties and spread themselves out, searching for Kirby in what they thought would be the most likely places. Tuff went back to the castle while Tiff headed to Kabu Valley. Though she tried convincing herself otherwise, she couldn't entirely rule out the possibility that Kirby had decided to leave town. If so, then he would have taken his Warp Star with him.

 _Things would be so much easier if Kirby could talk,_ she grumbled to herself. He could still only say a few words at present and if Kirby was supposed to have started Star Warrior duty at 200 years old as Meta Knight once said, then it seemed obvious that his species matured much more slowly and that it would be some years before he began talking coherently.

She approached Kabu respectfully (one did not treat a totem such as this with disregard) before entering. To her relief, she found Kirby's Warp Star still resting on its pedestal, glowing faintly. She briefly wondered where Kirby got his Warp Star from in the first place as she took the stairs out. Such an object must have been exceedingly rare and perhaps given only to the worthy. In this time, Kabu remained silent.

"Kabu," Tiff said. "Is Kirby still in Dream Land? Is he OK?"

Kabu did not answer. Tiff didn't know whether he was sleeping or not. It was only when she began walking away that Kabu spoke up.

"The Star Warrior is still in Dream Land but his heart is full of sorrow. He cannot ease it on his own."

"At least he hasn't gone," Tiff said. "Is he in town then? If we find him, will he be OK then?"

Kabu gave no answer despite Tiff waiting longer this time. She had to assume that she was correct since her words had not been contradicted. Feeling tired after her desperate running about this morning, she slowly headed back to Cappy Town hoping that the others had had better luck.

She met up with Tuff and told him what Kabu had said.

"You know, I think we need Meta Knight for this," he frowned. "I tried looking for him earlier but I can't find him anywhere. I know Dedede's been keeping him busy but–"

"You won't find Meta Knight unless he wants to be found," Tiff finished for him. "I bet he's around here now listening in. You ought to have done something about this by now!" she shouted, just in case the old Star Warrior was about. "You're supposed to be his teacher!"

She received no reply. She hadn't expected one.

Everyone else returned and reported the same thing: they couldn't find Kirby anywhere. Matters were not improved by King Dedede and Escargoon's arrival in the new royal car. Dedede had not been amused when Kirby destroyed the last one in his wild state.

"You all plannin' a riot gatherin' in a conflagration like that?!" Dedede demanded. It had never happened yet but one couldn't be too sure.

"You have to have written permission for a riot," Escargoon said, "which would never be granted of course since his Majesty can't read. OW!"

"For your information," Tuff huffed once Dedede delivered an obligatory hammer thwack to his unlucky lackey, "we're looking for Kirby. You wouldn't have happened to do something to him would you?"

"What? Little ol' me?" Dedede grinned, trying and failing to be the very picture of benevolence. "I ain't seen that greedy puffball anywhere. You all done me a favour an' driven him outta town 'fore I could do anythin' about it. You were the ones mad at him, not me." Truth be told though, he was a little bored by not having Kirby around. He needed someone to have a rivalry with and there weren't any other suitable candidates about.

"Oh, yeah?" said Tuff, trying to ignore the fact that Dedede probably had a point. "Well, you can help us find him!"

"Hold your horses!" Tokkori screeched. "I think I can hear something if you all quit your yapping!"

The gathered crowd, including Dedede and Escargoon, stayed quiet as they tried listening for the source of the sound. It was quite close by.

"It sounds like… moaning," Escargoon muttered. "Then again, living in this place, I should be moaning too."

It continued and when it was punctuated by a certain, characteristic poyo, everyone jolted. As one, they looked upwards toward the tree that sat in the square's centre and saw the pink puffball nestled in one of its branches, turning this way and that. Presumably he had been so tired after the previous night's shenanigans that he hadn't even the energy to return home. Typical that he should have been so close by the entire time.

Tokkori fluttered up next to Kirby, looking troubled.

"I hope he ain't having one of his nightmares again. He woke me up last night screaming like he were gonna get eaten or something. Mind you, I think Kirby's been having quite a few nightmares. Ruffled my feathers up let me tell ya!"

The crowd looked worried. That wasn't like Kirby. This was a being who tackled terrible monsters on a weekly basis and woke up the next day as if he had done nothing more exciting than uprooting weeds. Most of the time, he was more determined, rather than frightened, by the monsters he faced.

"Why didn't you mention anything before?" Tiff demanded angrily. Tokkori lifted in his wings in a _'why is it always me?'_ attitude.

"Because he didn't want me to say anything, that's why!" he snapped. "First time round, I thought I'd tell you 'cos you'd probably want to know but he jus' gave me a look and said no. Didn't want anyone to worry I guess. I weren't gonna argue and get it in the neck from him."

"I doubt you'd get in the neck from Kirby," said Tuff, "unless you stole his food or something. But OK. That ain't good. You better wake him up."

Kirby had been trying to deal with the nightmares himself for several reasons: he was sure that Star Warriors weren't meant to be troubled by such things, he didn't think the others would care apart from Tiff, Tuff and Meta Knight, and crucially, he couldn't really tell them what he was experiencing anyway, not having the words for it. Even if he did, how was he supposed to say that he'd been having dreams about killing people anyway?

"Wake up, lazybones!" Tokkori said, with such a voice that no-one could possibly have slept through. "I keep telling you that sleeping in trees is for the birds!"

But Kirby slept fitfully on, tormented by images that try as he might, he couldn't get rid of and mumbled incoherently. Tokkori tried waking him up again and nearly got kicked for his trouble. He wondered if it would be best to peck him.

"You gotta do it properly!" Dedede yelled. "Here, get me my hammer, Escargoon. Let's see if he don't wake up with this!"

"Oh, no, you don't!" Tiff exclaimed as the self-proclaimed monarch prepared to deliver a good, solid pounding with his trusty weapon.

But just as he was ready to do so, they were all distracted by Kirby suddenly fighting something in his sleep. Tokkori got out of the way quickly and sensing trouble, covered his hearing just before Kirby woke up abruptly and cried out louder than anyone else expected. He almost fell out of the tree again but stopped himself just in time. He looked at the tree branch he was sat on for reassurance. The after-images of his nightmare still burned in his waking vision.

Kirby shivered and hugged himself, not realising where he was. Each nightmare was more terrifying than the last. He had barely two hours sleep after rushing about Cappy Town and things were taking their toll. But he _had_ to deal with it by himself. Everyone expected that of him didn't they? Meta Knight trusted him to destroy demonbeasts with minimal assistance; bad dreams shouldn't have been an issue at all.

"Kirby!"

Kirby's tired, bloodshot eyes flicked down, wondering who spoke his name. An icy wave of fear suddenly washed over him. The whole town was practically here! He _knew_ he should have returned home last night instead of camping out here! What would they say this time? He probably messed things up more, right? Seeing the amount of people below wasn't exactly encouraging. He saw Tiff and Tuff as well but he wasn't sure if he could read their expressions. And considering what happened to them in his dreams, how could he possibly face them?

He threw himself out of the tree and, much to everyone's surprise, ran like hell.

"Kirby!" Tiff cried out again, not knowing what Kirby was thinking. "Wait!"

"Get him!" Dedede yelled at his Waddle Dee troop, not helping the situation when Kirby naturally assumed the monarch was after him again. The Waddle Dees ran off in Kirby's general direction but had to give up after a few minutes seeing that they had no chance of catching up.

When Kirby saw them, Tiff noticed the young Star Warrior's terror and exhaustion and thought back to what Kabu had briefly said. Had he really been affected so badly by that last demonbeast? The Star Warrior who could overcome everything?

"I hope he's just gone home," Tuff said wearily. "If only we found him earlier…"

Tiff nodded, not sure of what to say for once.

Unseen, a certain masked figure dropped from his hiding place and thought carefully to himself. He should have acted before. He had hoped Kirby would come to him. Maybe his hands-off approach was a little _too_ hands-off so that he wasn't an automatic choice to come to for help.

 _He cannot even think about fighting Nightmare in this state,_ he thought. _I hope I am not too late._

With wings he had never let anyone in Cappy Town see, Meta Knight took off and hoped that his protégé would be alright in the end.


	3. Chapter 3

**After Possession: Part 3**

Kirby left everyone behind as quickly as possible, half-expecting a mob to be chasing him. It wasn't as if he hadn't been chased by a mob before. Oh, sure, it was either because they had been brainwashed or something of that ilk; he knew the reasons. Not that it made him less terrified every time when he saw familiar faces suddenly go red like that. He could use a variety of copy abilities to deal with numerous monsters to the point that they exploded when they battled him: he couldn't deal with a mob in the same way.

Kirby skidded to a halt. Something was very wrong. He felt his heart suddenly speed up. He closed his eyes and opened them again.

 _He could see people falling before him, covered in blood, eyes utterly blank, victims of his great and terrible powers. The sky suddenly seemed to darken, completely blotting out the morning sun, as if erasing all traces of light and its associated goodness in the world. A cacophony of horrified shrieks filled his mind, punctuated only by the sound of shattered glass. He turned around and gave a gasp of horror. Now he could see his mentor, Meta Knight, sprawled on the hard ground, looking awfully and uniquely vulnerable. His mask lay a few feet away, cleaved straight through the middle, his cape brutally ripped to shreds, his body a network of slash marks._

 _He couldn't see his face even in his dreams as he had no idea what Meta Knight could possibly look like but he imagined the yellow glow of his eyes dulled to nothingness, never to waken again. The last Star Warrior of the old generation, killed just like that._

 _His own eyes, he imagined, glowed crimson, perfectly matching the blood spilled._

 _He did not know what he looked like but he glanced up and saw a representation of Nightmare. It gave a high-pitched laugh that sent paralysing waves of fear through Kirby, seeing what the young Star Warrior had done._

" _I knew my creation would come through in the end," it whispered. "You finally accomplished your task, little demonbeast. Didn't you know? You are my demonbeast. You are my demonbeast and that will never change."_

 _It was all a dream!_ Kirby clutched himself and tried to focus, attempting to banish the waking images plaguing his mind. They could only be dreams!

Slowly, the images vanished again though Kirby was left shaking like a leaf, more upset and confused than ever. He tried to think of pleasant things like food, butterflies, anything as he unsteadily made his way back to his house but it proved mostly in vain. Once home, he threw himself onto his bed, trying to control his emotions. A dark, unwanted question rose up in his mind before he could stop it.

What if he was a demonbeast?

It wasn't such a far-fetched idea was it? After all, what kind of normal creature was able to inhale enemies far bigger than itself and not leave a trace of its existence behind once inhaled? What kind of creature was able to swallow elemental and non-elemental matter and gain an incredible new power from it? Crucially, what kind of creature had a literal pocket universe _in its stomach?!_ Seriously, when Dedede was accidentally swallowed along with the voodoo doll that time, he babbled on about seeing stars and an incredible vastness of empty space before he found himself being spat back out and declaring he would never, _ever,_ get swallowed by Kirby ever again. No wonder Kirby was always hungry. Evolution was marvellous but there was surely no way that evolution had provided a path to create such a force of devastation.

His powers could be incredibly devastating even when he knew how to control them most of the time; Mike Kirby was a prime example of this considering that he had brought down Dedede's castle previously, no doubt causing extremely expensive damage. As there were so many things he could effectively copy, his skills were potentially unlimited. An ultimate warrior with the ability to match any creature's powers: now there was a real boon for any evil entity!

All he remembered before crashing into Dream Land that fateful day was travelling through space in his little ship, watching the motions of whirling stars and rushing comets, awestruck by the beauty of it all when he wasn't sleeping. He occasionally touched his Warp Star as a reminder of its presence. He had no idea how it came to be in his possession, only the intense feeling that it was a part of him and he could not be separated from it.

But where had he come from? Did he have parents like all the other children? He drew a complete loss. He generally didn't let the issue bother him too much for the most part but sometimes, when he went home with only a loud-mouthed bird for company, he did feel a little lonely. Not even Meta Knight knew about his origins. He had told Kirby before he was a young Star Warrior woken earlier than expected but how could he be so sure? Why was Kirby even flying about space in the first place? Had he been sent away for some purpose? Had he been rejected for some reason? He wished he could answer any of these questions.

If he was a demonbeast, that possibly explained the nightmares. They depicted not what Kirby would normally do, but what a monster would normally do. It just took demonic possession to bring them out.

Kirby took a deep breath. He slipped off his bed and rummaged through the box stored underneath to check if there was anything he should take. He could travel far lighter than most people: he didn't need clothes, he didn't need weapons and since he could eat pretty much anything, he probably didn't need to take any food either.

His hand brushed against some photos; he stopped to look at them. They were happy photos, ones in which he was playing with his friends or posing with his latest copy ability. There were even a couple with Meta Knight, slightly out-of-shot and somewhat unfocussed owing to the old Star Warrior's reluctance to have his picture taken at the best of times. Still, they were snapshots of his time in Dream Land, showing people that he cared for.

He left the photos alone. He didn't need reminders. He was sure they would understand.

Checking his surroundings just in case he was being watched, Kirby closed the door behind him and headed towards Kabu Valley with the intention of picking up his Warp Star, thankful that he had not yet been spotted. On the way though, he kept witnessing nightmarish flashes that took their toll on his mind more and more each time. Kirby had to forcibly remind himself that they were not real, that they were just bad after-effects of his temporary possession.

He was, he noted, not very persuasive to himself.

* * *

Meta Knight wondered how being possessed must have felt like. To suddenly have no control over your actions whatsoever, to perhaps enjoy carrying out the deeds of evil entities, to completely lose one's self to the bidding of another. Perhaps it was a blessing that most who underwent this process were blissfully unaware of what they were doing at the time. It was the snap back to reality that was the difficult part.

Meta Knight considered himself lucky that he had never experienced this in all the time he was a member of the Galactic Solider Army though he knew of many who had succumbed to this while fighting against a baffling plethora of monsters. The Star Warriors generally recovered very quickly with only the occasional need for help and support from their colleagues who understood the threats that they faced, including the prospect of possession and told them that they knew none of their actions were intentional, they had not deliberately set out to kill their fellow Star Warriors by choice.

Jecra had not had the luxury of that.

Being taken by Nightmare himself had practically wrote his death sentence. He had next to no chance of breaking free from it even though a vestige of his friend had remained long enough to hand Meta Knight his pendant and refrain from killing him. He then passed away before Meta Knight could take any sort of action. Even today, the memory of that could still jolt him. He had been forced to… stop his friend's rampages and no other alternative had presented itself.

The old Star Warrior had thought that Kirby would be able to handle himself after the Demon Frog business. The Demon Frog, while it caused Kirby's maddened state, was not as harmful as many other monsters of a similar type. How else did that insane monarch Dedede get the Demon Frog to possess him with no lasting effects? And besides, Kirby had his friends, he had not been immediately thrown into another battle and in any case, the experience would probably strengthen him.

It was, Meta Knight supposed, the townspeople that had led Kirby to retreat within himself and avoid even his mentor, not even turning up for his usual training practice. But even then, Meta Knight was sure that Kirby would eventually come to him. Kirby was not the sort to stay away very long and could be made quite easily cheerful again.

Meta Knight's eyes glowed with worry. Yes, Kirby was a Star Warrior-in-training but he was also a young child with a young child's mind. The nightmares were likely terrifying. He probably had no idea whatsoever of how to deal with the situation.

He had a responsibility towards Kirby. Right now, he not only needed guidance, he needed an understanding adult and friend.

Just as he was about to set off and cross paths with Kirby, he heard a series of footsteps coming from behind him. He didn't bother turning around; he recognised the sound.

"If you're looking for Kirby," he said, "he's heading towards Kabu Valley. I assume he will pick up his Warp Star before leaving Dream Land."

"What?!" Tiff cried out. "We've need to stop him!"

Of course, there was no question of Tiff and Tuff staying behind while Meta Knight went on alone to confront his student. Besides, arguments would only lead to delays. He let the children follow him as he led the way to Kabu Valley, hoping that Kirby would linger about Kabu for some time.

"Meta Knight," Tuff said in an almost accusatory tone, "how come you didn't do anything before?"

"You know that my approach is mainly hands-off," Meta Knight answered, "as I do not want Kirby to become too reliant upon me. I do not get involved unless absolutely necessary. But now my intervention has become necessary. Kirby must be completely focussed and without distractions if we are to take the fight to Nightmare in the near future. These nightmares, they are the after-effects of the Demon Frog possession and I believe they are affecting him even now."

"Dedede's been possessed before yet he's never shown any sign of having nightmares," Tiff pointed out. The self-proclaimed monarch did seem to have an odd propensity for being possessed in some way though he was always as right as rain afterwards. "Why should it affect Kirby?"

"The king does not have a very well-developed conscience so whatever actions the king has taken, he is not likely to feel sorry for them afterward else he would have stopped ordering monsters long ago. Kirby does. He is a good person with a pure heart and that is why it is affecting him more."

"Because he felt guilty?"

"Indeed."

Eventually, the trio arrived at Kabu Valley and asked the totem if he had seen the young Star Warrior pass by.

"He is inside," Kabu intoned.

Thankful they did not have to travel far, they entered and to Tiff and Tuff's great shock, they saw a shaking Kirby huddled in the corner. To their even greater shock, they realised that he was crying and trying to hold back the tears even when he thought he was alone. The Warp Star remained on its pedestal untouched.

"Kirby," Tiff called out.

The young Star Warrior didn't even glance her way and, if anything, struggled even more to hold back the tears, feeling ashamed at being caught like this. He faced the wall and rocked back and forth on the spot. Tiff felt heartbroken as if she had failed the pink puffball in some way.

Requesting that the two children stay near the stairs so that Kirby would not be overwhelmed, Meta Knight approached his young student carefully, not wanting to alarm him. Kirby did not move. That was probably for the best.

"Kirby," he said gently. "Why have you been hiding from everyone? Your friends have been worried about you, especially after hearing that you've been having nightmares."

Kirby refused to look up, not wishing to shame himself even further in the knight's eyes.

"Will you permit me to make some guesses? I guess that you think everyone is still angry at you and you feel guilty that you couldn't do anything to stop yourself from carrying out your actions."

The young Star Warrior gave the tiniest of nods.

"Kirby, Star Warriors far older and experienced than yourself have succumbed to the same kind of possession before now. Monsters took control of them in order to cause mistrust among friends and fear between colleagues, all in order to further decimate our ranks. When my friend Jecra was possessed, we tried to help him and bring him round to normality again but unfortunately, it was not to be. He was not given the chance to return to us."

Kirby still did not look up.

"I do not wish for you to feel sorry for yourself, my friend. What happened that day in Cappy Town is now understood by the people. You were not the one at fault."

Fiddling with a loose stone in his hands, Kirby whispered, "Monster." Though he tried to hide it from Meta Knight, the old Star Warrior could still see tears running down his face.

"Hmm? Are we referring to the Demon Frog?"

The young Star Warrior trembled as he shook his head. "Me."

"Wait! Kirby, what are you saying?!" Tiff cried out. "You're not a monster!"

Tiff and Tuff would have ran down the stairs if Meta Knight did not hold out his arm as a sign to stay back; he didn't think Kirby would elaborate if he felt crowded and it could already be difficult enough to get information from the young Star Warrior since he was unable to talk properly. One needed endless patience in dealing with Kirby at times though fortunately, his mentor did have that endless patience.

"Why do you think that, Kirby?"

Through a series of one-word answers from Kirby and much coaxing on Meta Knight's part, the gathered group tried to understand Kirby's thoughts: that he was having doubts about himself because of his unique and potentially deadly powers that no-one else had, that he had no idea where he came from, that his nightmares only seemed to serve as confirmation of a monstrous side hitherto hidden.

"Kabu would be able to show us one of the nightmares you've been experiencing if you give him permission to do so," the older warrior explained. "It would help our understanding of the situation. You would not object to viewing a nightmare second-hand would you?" he addressed the children.

"Uh, if it helps Kirby, it should be alright," Tuff mumbled. Tiff agreed as well although she wondered how bad it could be. Meta Knight had shown her some of his memories once via Kabu and they were hardly pretty situations.

"Would this be acceptable, Kirby?" the old knight asked.

Thinking very deeply about it, the young Star Warrior nodded and closed his eyes. The interior of Kabu then dissolved before everyone's vision to be replaced by an inferno of a battlefield. It was only after a minute or so they realised they were looking at the devastated ruins of a once-thriving town. Tiff and Tuff gasped and though he would deny it later, Tuff held onto his sister. Meta Knight watched carefully, witnessing the lifeless corpses strewn across the battle-scarred earth as a picture from his own memories as a high-ranking Star Warrior within the GSA. Figures from Kirby's life lay maimed, disgraced and dead. The stars flickered madly as they turned from golden to a furious red.

The possessed Kirby took most of his burning rage out on King Dedede. Dedede's hammer, a formidable weapon by anyone's standards, lay broken and splintered, useless against this fierce foe. Bones could be heard cracking above the general pandemonium. It was better than the chilling laughter that they never imagined coming from such a person as Kirby.

Meta Knight instructed the children to look away and block their hearing when a demonic version of Kirby found their dream representations. The devilish wings protruding from his back fluttered madly as if in anticipation for the kill and his sword gleamed in ways that a sword should not.

He did not turn away even when Kirby faced a dream representation of his mentor and, having already incapacitated him, proceeded to lift his sword and stab him through his mask, through his heart, with deliberate calculation. Though he would have to have had no emotions whatsoever to not flinch or feel even a little alarmed.

 _It's not as if I haven't seen myself killed before._ In his dreams, in his nightmares, he had seen many a dark turn. But it was so important to not be afraid.

Within time, the nightmare faded into nothingness and Tiff and Tuff cautiously looked up again. For a moment, they were glad that Meta Knight had instructed them to stay where they were and then a little guilty at thinking so. If there was one thing that a person could not control, no matter how good or bad they were, it was their dreams.

"I… didn't think they would be that bad…" Tiff whispered.

The dreams that Kirby had been having had felt so real to him, as if they were going to become true any day. Any action he might take he felt would set that future in motion, something he desperately did not want to risk.

He flinched when Meta Knight touched him. His Warp Star glowed brightly in accordance with its owner's fraught feelings.

"Take Galaxia out of the scabbard."

Unsure of himself, Kirby nevertheless reached out to take Meta Knight's sword. He felt the same rush of power and above all, acceptance, as he had when he had wielded it before.

"Do you think a demonbeast would have been able to do that just then? Demonbeasts are made with evil purposes in mind, created as they are by Nightmare Enterprises, a personification of evil if there ever was one. This blade banishes evil, true, but even a good person cannot wield it unless they are considered worthy enough to do so, if they have the right qualities suited for Galaxia. These figures are very few and far in between; you know that as well as I do. In that regard, we are the same."

The children remembered when Meta Knight had been injured and struck unconscious by Wolfwrath. Without thinking for his own safety and unusually determined, Kirby took up Galaxia with the greatest of ease and left the castle, ready to hunt down the monster who had dared hurt his mentor this way.

Kirby lifted his head then and Meta Knight saw his red-rimmed eyes. His mentor then directed his attention to the shimmering Warp Star.

"Your Warp Star is connected to you, Kirby, and right now, it is reacting to your feelings quite visibly. A demonbeast wouldn't feel such strong emotions as you are right now, would it? They are not usually created with emotions. Why would they be when their sole purpose is to kill their master's enemies? You are certainly a Star Warrior, my friend."

"Poyo…"

"Meta Knight's right, Kirby," said Tiff. "I mean," she added with a small smile, "what kind of demonbeast would normally be so cheerful all the time?"

"I don't know about any monsters who would be so happy when they given lollies either," Tuff chuckled.

Kirby seemed less upset now as their words did make sense. He remembered when that girl Sirica had tried stealing Meta Knight's sword, the sword gave her a powerful and nasty shock: the blade would not accept her. But when Kirby had picked it up once again, he remembered how _right_ it had felt in his hands. Though something was still bothering him.

"Night… mares," he whispered. "Bad."

"I imagine with this conversation, they will start to fade. The act of speaking with others about this will help you move on, especially as we have made it clear that you have no need to feel guilty. But for the time being, I… think it would be best if you stayed at the castle for a while," Meta Knight decided. "Hopefully they will go then. I know how bad nightmares like yours can be, Kirby."

"Promise?" the young Star Warrior whispered.

"I promise."

As Kirby gave him a look of doubt, Meta Knight thought about taking an unprecedented step, one that would very much gain his student's trust. It would probably shock Kirby a little; it would be like looking in a mirror. But his student had earned the right to see his true self. He couldn't remember the last time he did this.

"I do not do this lightly you know," Meta Knight said, "and I would be most grateful if you did not inform anyone else of this. My apologies, Tiff, Tuff, but I would rather that you still remain there; it is a matter solely between Kirby and I."

"OK?" they answered not knowing what Meta Knight was talking about.

To their extraordinary surprise, Meta Knight reached for the straps that held his mask in place and once slowly pulled off, he placed it on the ground. No-one in Dream Land had ever seen the old knight without his mask, not even to eat or drink. One might justifiably suspect that the mask was permanently fused to his face. Tiff had wondered whether he wore it still to hide some age-old battle scar long after the wars; it seemed the most likely explanation. Tuff thought it was just to make Meta Knight seem cool and mysterious and in that, he certainly was successful. Both were desperately curious to see Meta Knight's face but they remained where they were; Meta Knight would no doubt be angry with them otherwise.

For Kirby's part, he gave a surprised cry upon seeing Meta Knight without the mask. He looked so much like him! While Kirby's eyes were blue, Meta Knight's, without the mask, were white and while his own body was pink all over, Meta Knight's was a deep blue. In aspects of shape, apart from the arms, they were the same. It was… reassuring to find someone like him. Why, Meta Knight could practically be his father!

"Imagine my surprise when I first saw you," Meta Knight with a slight smirk. "In all my years, I've never seen another being quite like you or I."

Kirby, still reeling from the revelation, thought about the matter deeply. They looked extraordinarily similar and both could wield Galaxia. "Re… lated?"

Related? Did the old Star Warrior look similar to Kirby then? How Tiff and Tuff wished they could see Meta Knight's face!

"Unfortunately not," the knight answered, "or I would certainly be able to tell you of your origins. As a matter of fact, I do not know mine either. But it matters not. I have had friends and family. I have not needed to know to have a good life."

It was very much the same for him, Kirby realised. Since arriving in Dream Land, he had, for the most part, built a good life for himself and he was very happy with it. He often stayed with Tiff, Tuff and their parents, he ate with them; they were almost like family in a way.

And Meta Knight. He was always watching out for him. He did not like getting too close but he was there nonetheless. And if Kirby was ever truly struggling, Meta Knight would be there to help him.

The young Star Warrior felt better about himself already. He could clear his doubts, stop his nightmares, and feel like his normal self again.

"In future, Kirby, I want you to come to me with your problems, no matter if you think I would be disappointed or perhaps disapprove. I will always be around if you need me. You need only say the word. You are not alone, my friend."

To Meta Knight's surprise, Kirby suddenly hugged him tightly, almost too tightly truth be told, and buried his face into the old knight, refusing to let go. If Tiff and Tuff could see his face, they would have seen Meta Knight's eyes glow a shockingly bright pink, completely taken aback by this action. Meta Knight was the stoic warrior of Dream Land, the survivor of a great war against countless demonbeasts sent from Nightmare Enterprises. He kept his distance and advised from afar, never letting anyone get too close to him. He was seen as almost cold, never one to let his or people's emotions gain the better of him.

Then, tentatively, and with some embarrassment, Meta Knight wrapped his arms around his student and hugged back, fully aware that this set a precedent for the future and that Kirby would probably want to be hugged more by him and damn whatever Meta Knight thought about the situation. Perhaps it wasn't such a bad thing. Perhaps it would make Meta Knight a better person, warmer and more approachable for Kirby. Perhaps a part of him even liked it.

He felt his young charge calm down, taking slow breaths before he finally let go after what seemed like an age. Kirby rubbed his eyes and sighed with relief, feeling lighter than he had in days. He knew one of Meta Knight's secrets, shared only to him. Meta Knight trusted him. He was his mentor, yes, but he was also his friend.

He picked up his mentor's mask and held it out. He looked up at Meta Knight and found it within himself to give a small smile.

Meta Knight gave a small smile back before he returned his mask to his face once more.


End file.
